Nine Inches
by Jenivi7
Summary: Sand, surf, sun and a debate of inches.


A/N: OMG! My hikari and co-writer is visiting me from TEXAS and we wrote this together IN PERSON while ON THE BEACH!! ((Flails about excitedly while Fantasy.Maker flails about beside me!))

* * *

Seto stood waste deep in ocean. Wet. Cold. Miserable.

Someone was going to die for this.

"Hey Seto! When you visit the ocean you normally swim!" a voice called from a slight distance to his right. Atemu stood with a boogie board and cocky smile as he rested a hand on his stuck out hip. "Unless all that time at Kaiba Corp has made you forget how to swim."

Seto leveled his best, most withering, murderous glare in Atemu's direction.

Unfortunately the icy waters seemed to be addling his brain as the only thing he could think to say was, "It's cold."

Atemu just chuckled and pushed his way through the waves to get out further. "That's why you move around."

A wave rolled into Seto, splashing across his back, over his shoulders and sending water running down his chest and stomach.

"And wet."

He shivered.

Atemu caught a wave and rode it past him. He reached out to splash the man but the shift in weight caused him to lose his balance and tumble over and into Seto's side, knocking them both over and into the water.

Now thoroughly drenched, sputtering and resembling a drowned rat, as soon as Seto regained his balance in the currents, he reached out, clamped one hand on each of Atemu's shoulders, and dunked him back under the surface.

Caught off guard, Atemu flailed wildly with arms and feet, catching the man's legs with a hard kick as his arms found his stomach and pushed him away.

He came up coughing and wet and irritated. Atemu wiped the salt water from his eyes and turned Seto's own death glare back on him.

"What was that for? You can't just dunk people randomly! I might have drowned!"

Seto stood, hopping a bit on one leg while he rubbed at the spot where Atemu's foot had caught him, though a small smirk pulled the corners of his mouth upward. "Hm, unfortunately you're still alive. I'll have to try harder next time."

"Not if I kill you first!" Atemu shouted and launched himself at Seto, boogie board raised above his head to come crashing down and smack Seto's forehead. He stood there and said, very seriously, "Fear my wrath."

Seto couldn't help himself. He burst into laughter.

"Yes," he wheezed, "all five feet of it!"

"And four inches!" Atemu whacked him on the side of the head with his bright yellow weapon. "Stop laughing!" He gave up using the board and tackled the man into the water. Unfortunately, he forgot that the boogie board was still attached to his wrist and got a bit of a smack in the back of his own head.

They tumbled around, in and out of the waves, each using the board in turn as leverage or as a weapon until, finally, dragging themselves ashore and flopping onto the sand, still pushing and shoving each other all the way.

Collapsing on his back, Atemu weakly tossed the board back at Seto as he panted to catch his breath. "Five feet . . . four inches. Don't be a bastard . . . just because . . . you're a little taller," he gasped out.

Seto could barely speak for being winded and still trying to laugh. He fended off the board with an arm and managed, "Nine inches."

"You wish." With a sigh, Atemu lay back in the sand to rest for a minute while he pulled the strap off his wrist and freed himself. He snuck a look back at Seto to make sure the other's guard was down as he braced his hands into the sand, waited a beat, then shoved off, flopping his body on top of Seto's.

"You may be taller, but I can still kick your ass."

"I highly doubt it." Hands slid up Atemu's back. "But you're welcome to try."

Hands dug into the sand on either side of brown hair. An intense red-eyed stare as lips came teasingly close, breath mingling. "The invitation is nice but not needed."

Atemu suddenly pulled away and smirked. "I'll take you when I want." Laughing, he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled up the beach towards the rented beach house.

_Bastard!_ Seto wasn't about to let Atemu get away with that and lept up after him.

He'd show him who would be taken and when.

They'd have to remember to lock the beach house door though.


End file.
